Caught In A Sandstorm
by Rei-chan689
Summary: A missing nin and the one who was once feared by his village and called a monster come together. What will happen when Gaara of the sand bonds with a criminal and what will happen when her past catches up with her? GaaraOC. Rating may go up.
1. Sandstorms

**Hello people! Here is the story request from ShadowAssasin01. Hope you guys like it and it features my OC Rei. For those of you that haven't read my other stories Rei is the OC I always use. Anyways, hope you like it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I get the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter One**

Rei Hatori once again found herself traveling alone through a desolate place as she tried to outrun her past. At the moment she was walking through the desert on the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Sand. Once she reached the village she would be able to rest for a while. She needed to rest considering she was caught in a sandstorm while sustaining some serious injuries.

She frowned as she thought of where she would go next. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay in the village for too long. She could never stay in one place for too long. That was how things were when you were a missing nin.

She kept walking, but with every step that she took she felt her strength rush out of her body. Her injuries were too serious to keep traveling. She knew she had to treat them soon, but she couldn't stop. If she stopped she might as well kill herself before _they_ did it for her. She paused and checked on her injury. She scowled at the sight. She definitely needed to get it treated.

She put some pressure on it with her hand. She was too weak to use medical jutsu. She kept walking hoping that the village was close. She hoped that she would be able to keep going. She walked for a while longer until her legs gave out and she could no longer stay awake. The last thing her blurry vision allowed her to see were the silhouettes of two people. She tried to move, but it was too late she closed her eyes and before she lost all consciousness braced herself for the end.

* * *

Gaara and Kankuro had been looking at the outskirts of the village from the massive wall that surrounded it when they saw something or someone nearby. It looked like whoever was out there was injured and so they decided to go take a look. They wondered who would be out there during a storm like that.

They found a girl lying in the sand. She was bleeding and about to lose consciousness. Thy wasted no time and picked her up. They took her to the village hospital. After that they would think of what to do with her.

After her wounds had been cleaned and treated and she had been changed into clean clothes Gaara and Kankuro were allowed to see her. They looked through her belongings to see if they could find anything that could serve as a clue to who she was. They didn't find anything but weapons which showed that she was a ninja. They had no idea where she was from or why she had been traveling in a sandstorm with those injuries.

"Gaara, what do you think she was doing out there?"

"I don't know, but I guess it must have been important for her to travel in those conditions. I wonder how she got those injuries."

Gaara looked at the girl and for the first time noticed how attractive she was. She had long blond hair and pale skin with a slight bit of color. Her cheeks and lips were rosy and her face was delicate and innocent although it held a mature look. She was slim and strong with soft curves in the proper places. If it weren't for the weapons that they had found he never would have guessed that she was a shinobi. She looked too frail and innocent to be one.

They left the room after a while as there was nothing for them to do there. As he left the building Gaara couldn't help but get a strange feeling like something was about to happen. He dismissed it as being absurd and went on his way to his office. He was oblivious to the chaos that he had brought into the village.

_**End Chapter One**_

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**Hope you guys liked it although it was super short, but I'm trying to post a few chapters today since yesterday I had computer troubles. I promise the story will get better as it progresses. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I get the more I write. Sayonara!**


	2. Awakening

**Hello people! Sorry for taking so long to update, but this week was full of unexpected surprises. That means that I didn't have as much free time to update as I had initially planned. Anyways, thanks to ShadowAssasin01 and MonoxideManda for reviewing. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my OC.**

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**Chapter Two**

Rei woke up and after getting used to the light she noticed that she was in some sort of hospital. She sat up and winced at the pain in her side. She held her head and remembered what had happened. She remembered being in the desert and walking to the Hidden Sand Village, but she had never arrived, so how had she gotten to where she was now? She thought about it and then she remembered the two figures that had approached her after she had fallen to the ground, unconscious. Who had those people been and how long had she been out? She sighed. At least she had made it to the Village. Now she could rest and….

Her thoughts of leisure time quickly left her as she remembered why she had been walking through the desert in a sandstorm. She groaned as she realized that she would have to keep moving. She couldn't afford to stay there for too long. They could find her if she did. That wouldn't be good. She was about to stand up when she heard voices outside. They were heading to her room. She laid down and waited for the people to enter.

The door opened and four people stepped in. There was a nurse and three ninja. One of them was a blond kunoichi. She had a large fan strapped to her back. The other was a shinobi with three scrolls strapped to his back. He was dressed in black and wore purple face paint. The last one was the one that caught Rei's eye. When she saw the redheaded shinobi with the gourd she felt nervous and afraid. Before her stood the Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand. The nurse approached her with a smile on her face.

"It's good to see that you're up miss. How do you feel?"

"I-I'm f-fine." Rei stuttered due to her nerves.

As the nurse did a checkup she tried to think of how to get out of this predicament. Maybe they would just let her go if she said the right things. The problem was figuring out what the right things were. To her chagrin the blond kunoichi stepped towards her. The nurse stopped looking at Rei's injuries and looked at the other three.

"These people are here to see you. They would like to ask you some questions. Do you mind?"

"No, it's fine."

"I'll leave you alone. If you need anything please don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you."

The nurse left and Rei was left alone with the three siblings. The kunoichi was the first one to speak.

"My name is Temari and these are my brothers, Kankuro and Gaara. They found you two days ago while you were traveling through the desert in a sandstorm. You are lucky that they found you since you were badly injured. If you had stayed there for a while longer you would have died."

"I am grateful to you. It seems that I owe you my life."

She bowed her head at them to show her appreciation although in the inside she cursed her luck. Things would have been much easier if she had died, but she guessed it was better this way even if she had to find some way to get out of the mess she was in.

"You owe us nothing. It was by chance that we saw you. It was not our intention to save you."

She looked curiously at Gaara after he had spoken. It seemed that he didn't care about her at all. That was good. That meant that unlike someone that wanted to help her she could get away from them saying that she didn't wish to impose on them and he would gladly let her go not caring what happened to her or who she was. It was just her good luck that had allowed her to be rescued by such a heartless man. For the time being she would just have to pretend to be a polite girl that had a bit of bad luck while traveling by herself.

"Still, I want to thank you. I am grateful for your help. However I think that it is time for me to take my leave. I have imposed on you enough."

"Now, you don't really think that we're going to let you go that easily do you?" Kankuro said.

Rei could feel her hopes shatter. She hadn't expected the others to hold her back. She looked at them not knowing what to do or say.

"We want to know why you were traveling through the desert in the middle of a sandstorm and how you received those injuries."

Rei felt her stomach turn. She had to come up with something fast. Fortunately a lifetime of hardships had taught her many things. One of those things was how to lie when she was under pressure. To be honest she had no reason to feel uneasy as she was a very cunning person and an expert when it came to lying.

"Well, I come from a small village not too far from Kirigakure. My parents died a few years ago and with no other family I had no reason to stay. I decided to leave the village and travel around the country since I had spent my whole life in the same place. Unfortunately I was attacked by some rogue shinobi. It was just with a bit of luck that I managed to escape."

"What about the weapons you had when we found you? Aren't you a shinobi?"

"My father was a shinobi. He taught me how to defend myself and thanks to that I was able to travel by myself and survived. Those weapons were my father's. I took them when I left home in case I ran into some trouble."

The three siblings looked at each other. They couldn't ell whether she was lying or not. Her story sounded fine and she hadn't hesitated at all or paused to think. Still, there was something strange about her.

Rei looked at them waiting to see if they had believed her. She hoped for her sake they had. She cursed her luck and her nerves. She had been so nervous she hadn't been able to come up with a decent lie. She knew she could have done better than the usual 'I'm-alone- in-this-world-pity-me-but-leave-me-alone' lie. She was pleased to see that they didn't argue with her or question her further about her past.

"You are fit to leave the hospital, but you still have to rest for a while. Is there anyone you know in this village that you can stay with?" Temari inquired.

"No, but I can stay at an inn if you point me to one. I should probably leave soon so I'll just stay for a day or two."

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that. You are in no condition to travel through the desert by yourself. It is also not advisable to stay at an inn in your condition."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I have nowhere else to go."

She was getting annoyed with these people. It was obvious that Gaara wanted to just let her go, but the other two insisted on being nice. What did they expect from her? She was alone and didn't know anyone what else could she do?

* * *

The three siblings walked out of the room and discussed what to do with the girl.

"What should we do with her? We can't leave her alone, she's still injured, but not seriously enough to stay at the hospital." Temari said.

"Well, maybe we should just let her stay at an inn. She seems fine with it."

"If she wants to leave then let her. She wants to leave and she can obviously take care of herself if she's traveled for so long by herself." Gaara said unconcerned.

Kankuro and Temari looked at each other. They were unsure of what to do. Then Kankuro had an idea.

"Why don't we let her stay with us? She said that she will only be here for a few days. We're always out on missions anyway so it's okay."

Temari was unsure of the idea, but Kankuro looked so determined that she knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind. She looked at Gaara and could have sworn she saw his eye twitch. She sighed in defeat. They really had no other choice. She would deal with Gaara later.

* * *

Rei sat on the bed waiting for the three shinobi to return. The door finally opened and they stepped in. Kankuro was smiling, Temari looked worn out, and Gaara, well, he looked like Gaara.

"Well, after discussing the situation we have decided that you can stay with us for a while. Once you are healthy enough you can leave."

Rei couldn't believe what she had just heard. Once again she felt her stomach turn and her hopes shatter. So much for her ingenious lies. She felt a headache coming and sadly she knew that was the least of her troubles. She was being watched. She knew it and at the moment she was just a sitting duck. She sighed. Maybe dying in the desert would have been easier.

_**End Chapter Two**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	3. Welcome

**Hello People! Sorry for taking so long to update. I was really busy with school, you know how it is. Anyways, thanks to cheeky half-demon, MonoxideManda, and Dark Wolf Goddess Of The Moon for reviewing and thanks to all of you for reading. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Also feel free to read my other stories and check out my profile. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter Three**

The next day Rei moved in with the sand siblings. Their house was rather large, but that was to be expected considering they were the children of the last Kazekage and Gaara was the current Kazekage. Temari led her to the room she would be staying in. The room was of fair size and contained a bed, couch, desk, and other pieces of furniture. Temari helped settle into the room, she actually proved to be very nice.

"Well, you should probably rest. If you need anything just call and I'll come and get you when dinner is ready. If you get bored you can go downstairs and do something or just walk around. Just be careful so you won't worsen your injuries."

"Alright, thank you for taking me in. I promise I'll be out of here soon."

"It's alright, you can stay here as long as you need to." Temari smiled at her.

She turned to leave, but as she stepped out the door she turned back around to look at Rei.

"Oh, one more thing, don't mind Gaara, he's just been under a lot of stress from work. I think they've been giving him too much paperwork." She left.

Rei stood there not knowing what to do. To be honest she had never felt very comfortable staying with other people. She sighed and examined the room. She sat on her bed and thought about what she should do first. She knew she had to get out of there soon. The only reason she was still alive was probably because she was currently residing in the Kazekage's home. However she knew that if she wanted to stay alive she would have to leave soon. She checked to see how many weapons she had. She had a few kunai and shuriken and a few yards of wire. She also had some explosive tags, five smoke bombs, and her small katana. She sighed, it wasn't enough, at least not to defeat the ones after her. Hell, it wasn't even enough to distract them.

She hated her current situation. She was trapped. If she left the house she would probably die and if she stayed she would probably die although it would take longer. Her next move was clear by now. She had to get more weapons and then she had to make a plan to escape. Then it occurred to her that she would need time to make a plan and if the sand siblings decided that she was healthy enough to leave she would be thrown out into the street and she would have to find some way to make it to the next village and lose her pursuers. She sighed, things were getting complicated. For the second time in two days she felt a terrible headache approaching and she knew that it was the least of her worries.

* * *

Rei stayed in her room for most of the day thinking about how she would get out of this alive. Temari went to get her when it was dinnertime. They went to the dining room where Gaara and Kankuro were waiting. Rei sat next to Temari. 

"I'll get the food." Temari said before leaving.

Kankuro turned to Rei and whispered.

"Just pretend to eat and if you can swallow some do it. When you feel like you're about to hurl, just say you're full. We'll get some real food when she goes to bed."

Rei sat there with confusion written all over her face. However, that expression was quickly replaced with fear when Temari walked in with the food. Rei had never seen anything like what was on the plates. She wondered what it was and if it was actually edible. She looked back at Kankuro and saw that he was rather green. Gaara did not looked pleased either.

"Since we have company today I decided to make my special soup." Temari said cheerfully.

The other two looked like they wanted to die just to avoid eating Temari's food. Apparently the special soup was especially disgusting. They ate, or pretended to, in silence. Rei took Kankuro's advice and faked being full after a few bites. Temari looked at her surprised.

"Wow, you eat as little as those two." She said, gesturing to her brothers.

"Sometimes I wonder how they can survive with so little food." She said and resumed eating.

After a while they were all 'done eating' and Kankuro did the dishes. It was his turn. Rei offered to help, but Temari said that she was a guest and refused to let her assist him although part of the reason she wouldn't let Rei help was because she wanted Kankuro to suffer.

* * *

Rei returned to her room with an empty stomach as she had not been able to swallow more than a few bites of Temari's cooking. She stayed in her room for a while reading one of the books Temari had given her to pass the time. She figured that even if she tried to she wouldn't be able to do too much planning with an empty stomach. After a while there was a soft knock on the door. She opened it to find Kankuro standing there. 

"Hey, I know Temari's cooking isn't the best so why don't you come over to the kitchen and I can fix something up. I'm not a very good cook, but I guarantee that the food will be edible."

Rei smiled, maybe staying with these people wouldn't be so bad.

"Well, maybe I can fix you something to eat. After all you've done it's the least I can do."

"Well, I don't know…."

"Don't worry, it's alright."

They walked to the kitchen and Gaara was there too. Apparently even the Kazekage wouldn't dare eat Temari's food. Rei considered using it as a weapon, maybe she could make some type of poison….She snapped out of her murderous thoughts and looked around to see what was available. Soon she had found what she needed and after a while she had prepared a decent meal for three starving shinobi. Kankuro tried it and quickly shoved it into his mouth when he found out that it was indeed edible. Gaara looked at his brother and shook his head at his poor eating habits. He tried the food and found it rather enjoyable. In fact it was delicious compared to Temari's cooking. The food disappeared quickly.

"Wow, that was good!" Kankuro said happily.

Rei smiled.

"We haven't eaten a decent homemade meal in years!"

"Well, it was nothing. If you want I can take over the cooking while I'm here. It's the least I can do."

Gaara and Kankuro looked at each other. Rei could have sworn she saw tears of joy threatening to fall from Kankuro's eyes.

"You really wouldn't mind?"

Rei shook her head.

"Okay then! If you need anything just tell us."

They went to bed and Rei actually slept peacefully for the first time in a long time. She just hope that things could stay that calm at least for a little while longer.

_**End Chapter Three**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and again sorry for taking so long and sorry if it's short. I'll try to update soon. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	4. Suspicions

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to JudgeGooby, Miraki Azumi, and ShadowAssasin01 for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

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**Chapter Four**

Rei woke up the next morning and got dressed. She was aware that she hadn't completely healed as the cut on her side throbbed with pain when she stretched. Once she was dressed she stepped out of the room and walked downstairs where she ran into Temari. She told her that she would be leaving for Konoha that day as soon as she made them breakfast. Rei recalled the previous night's dinner and offered to make breakfast.

"Are you sure it's alright?"

"Of course it is. Actually, I was thinking that maybe I could take care of the cooking for as long as I'm here as a way to repay you."

"Alright then, I'll see you in a few days."

Rei watched as Temari left and sighed in relief as she didn't have to eat her food. She walked to the kitchen and began o search the cabinets for food. She gathered what she needed and began to make breakfast. As she was finishing breakfast she felt someone's presence in the kitchen. She turned to see Gaara standing in the doorway. She smiled at him.

"Good morning, Gaara-sama."

"Morning." He mumbled.

"Breakfast is almost ready. Temari-san already left for Konoha."

Gaara didn't respond, but Rei didn't mind. She knew all about the Sand's unusual Hokage and she couldn't blame him for being so anti-social. Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was get on his bad side. Apart form the fact that he could easily kill her as she was injured he was one of the few things keeping her pursuers away. Soon she was done with breakfast and as she served the food to Gaara Kankuro walked in.

"Good morning, Kankuro-san." She said cheerfully.

"Good morning, and please, you don't have to address me so formally. Just call me Kankuro, or maybe Kankuro-kun." He said slyly.

Rei smiled, but inside she felt like smacking him on the head for being such a moron. Kankuro sat down and watched as she served him some food.

"Why didn't Temari cook?"

"She left for Konoha. She wanted to make breakfast before she left, but I offered to cook while I stayed here to repay you. She agreed." She said setting a plate before Kankuro.

"So you're going to cook now?" Kankuro said.

Rei smiled at him and nodded. She could have sworn she saw a tear run down his cheek.

"Gaara, did you hear that? We get to eat now!"

Rei laughed at the way Kankuro took the news. He turned back to his food and ate it all in an instant. Gaara ate in a more dignified manner. After a while they left. Kankuro went to see if he had any missions since Gaara refused to tell him saying that he should check on it like the other shinobi did and not take advantage of the fact that his brother was the Kazekage. Gaara left after him to fulfill his duties as the Kazekage and so Rei was left alone.

* * *

Rei cleaned a bit and made lunch. After that she decided to look around the house. When she got bored she decided to go out into the village to see if she could purchase any weapons. She was walking through the marketplace when she felt like someone was watching her. She knew who it was and so she went back home as quickly as she could. When she got there she got some of her weapons and as she made her way out of her room she realized that it was not safe for her to stay there. She needed to find Kankuro or Gaara. She knew her best bet was to see Gaara as she didn't know where Kankuro was, but Gaara was always in his office. But what excuse could she use so that she could see the Kazekage? She had an idea and so she went to the kitchen and emerged a few minutes later with a basket full of food.

Rei made her way to the Kazekage's office careful to stay within sight of the shinobi walking around. If something happened she knew that they would try to help and even if they couldn't stop her pursuers they would serve to distract them. She arrived there and was led to Gaara's office. When she walked in he was sitting behind his desk and looking out the window.

"What is it?" He asked unconcerned.

Rei smiled at him.

"I just thought I would bring you something to eat. I wanted to give some food to Kankuro, but I don't know where he is."

Gaara looked at the food and then at her. He looked at her expression and frowned. There was something that wasn't right about the way this girl smiled and the way she spoke. She seemed nervous, yet she always acted as though she was completely calm. There was something unnerving about her. He had to find out what it was.

"Tell me, what is it that you truly want?"

Rei was caught off guard and was puzzled by his question. Did he know who she was? What would he do? Would he make her leave the village or would he turn her in to her pursuers to keep his village safe? She was nervous, but she managed to put on a smile.

"What do you mean, Gaara-sama?"

"You know what I mean. You're hiding something. I know it. I want to know what it is."

"Gaara-sama, I told you everything of importance. I'm not hiding anything."

Gaara looked at her and frowned.

"If you don't want to tell me it is fine, but I hope it is not something that could endanger the village."

So he was worried about the village. That settled it, he would probably kick her out just to save his village. She was about to leave when he spoke again.

"Besides, if it is something that is worrying you I might be able to help you."

She stood there for a moment trying to process those words. He would actually be willing to help. Was he actually worried about her? Was that why he was asking what was wrong? She smiled at him.

"I appreciate it Gaara-sama, but I assure you, there is nothing wrong. I hope you enjoy the food."

She began to walk away, but stopped and turned to Gaara.

"By the way, would you happen to know where Kankuro is? If he isn't on a mission I would like to give him some food."

"He should be out in the town. He didn't have any missions. If he isn't in town, then he should be home."

"Thank you Gaara-sama." She left.

* * *

Gaara was left to wonder who she really was and why she was so mysterious. He hoped for the sake of the village and for her own sake that she wasn't hiding anything. He sighed. She really was a strange girl and he just didn't know what to make of her. He didn't even know who she really was or how long she would be staying with them. He sighed again and made a note to himself to not go into the desert during a sandstorm again. You never know what you're going to find there.

_**End Chapter Four**_

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**Hope you guys liked it and sorry about the chapters being so short, but I have other stories to update. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	5. Truth

**Hello people and sorry for not up-dating in such a long time. I was really busy and then I had computer problems, but now I have my new computer so I can finally update. Thanks to cheeky half-demon and ****MIraki****Azumi**** for ****revieiwing****. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the lovely ****Rei**

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**Chapter Five**

Rei walked through town quickly trying to find Kankuro. She tried to stay alert, but kept thinking about what Gaara had said. She wondered if he suspected who she was. She hoped he didn't, but if he did he would have done something by now. She looked around and sighed. He was nowhere in sight and she had already looked through most of the village. She decided to go back home and see if he was there. As she walked the uneasy feeling that she had had remained with her. She stopped and looked around to make sure no one was following her. When she didn't see anyone she kept walking.

She arrived back to what was her temporary home and went to the kitchen. She saw that Kankuro wasn't there and went to the second floor. She checked all of the rooms and couldn't find him. She heard someone come in and stopped. She listened closely and sighed in relief when she heard who it was.

"Rei-chan, are you here?" She heard Kankuro call.

She walked downstairs and smiled when she saw him. She walked up to greet him.

"Hello Kankuro, you're home early."

"Yeah, well, I didn't have any missions today. You'd think Gaara would have told me instead of making me waste my time. So, how was your day?"

"It was fine. I made you some lunch and I thought I would take it to you so I went to ask Gaara where you were and gave him his lunch. I was looking for you, but I couldn't find you so I decided to come back. Would you like your lunch?"

"Yes, _please_." He said, exited.

She smiled and led him to the kitchen where she served him his food. She sat across of him as he ate. She wanted to ask him about Gaara, but she didn't know if she should. She wanted to know more about him. She thought that if she knew more about him she would be able to get along with him better and this would definitely improve her chances of staying alive. After all, being the Kazekage's friend had to be a definite advantage. She sighed as she fought with herself, arguing if she should ask him or not. Apparently Kankuro was smarter than he seemed or she had made her intentions very obvious because he knew there was something on her mind.

"What's wrong?"

She turned to look at him and sighed. She would have to ask.

"I was just wondering about Gaara-sama."

"Gaara? What do you want to know about him?"

"I don't know, I guess I'm just curious about him. After all, he is the Kazekage."

"Well, I guess I can tell you a bit about him although even I don't know him as well as I should."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Gaara's changed. He's happier now. Before he didn't talk much and when he did, it was usually a threat. It wasn't his fault it was because of the demon inside of him. People didn't want him around, they hated him. Our own father hated him. Because of this he grew up alone and he never really cared about anyone other than himself."

"Then, what happened? I mean, that doesn't sound like Gaara. What made him change so much?"

"A while back we went to Konoha for the Chunnin Exams."

"Oh, I heard about that. Konoha was attacked by Orochimaru and the Sand. It was proven later that Orochimaru had staged the attack and the Sand wasn't to blame."

"That's right, when that happened Gaara fought with a boy named Naruto. He also had a demon inside of him. Naruto showed Gaara that he didn't have to be alone, that he could have friends like he did. Ever since then Gaara has changed."

"Well, I'm glad he did. He seems like a nice person, he's just so…"

"Quiet, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Well, he may have changed, but it's still hard for him to get close to people."

Rei sat there thinking of what Kankuro had said. Apparently she just had to get to know Gaara a bit, talk to him. From what she heard the guy was desperate for friends. Kankuro looked at her wondering what she was thinking about. He was about to say something when he heard someone come in. A moment later Gaara walked in.

"Hey, Gaara, what are you doing here so early?"

"There was nothing more to do in the office."

"Well, why don't you eat something?"

"I already ate." He said walking away.

"Well, you're in a talkative mood today." Kankuro mumbled.

Rei just looked at the two siblings and wondered if this was normal for them. She sighed as Gaara walked away. This would be harder than she thought.

* * *

After cleaning up in the kitchen Rei went to her own room and took a quick shower. She bandaged her wounds again and saw with a bit of concern that it was healing rapidly. This meant that she would have to leave soon. The bad thing about this was that they were expecting her to leave soon and she knew it wouldn't be easy. She sighed and looked out of the window. She saw some movement in a rooftop in the distance, but she couldn't tell what it was. Still, whatever it was made a chill run down her spine. She felt uneasy about it. She locked the window and drew the curtains in. She decided to go downstairs for a while. Even if there wasn't anyone downstairs it was better than being alone in her room. 

She went downstairs and stepped into the kitchen. She expected it to be empty, but Gaara was standing there apparently looking for something to eat. He turned to look at her and she didn't really know what to say.

"Hello, Gaara-sama. Would you like something to eat?"

Gaara just stood there for a moment looking at her and then he nodded. Rei stepped past him and began to take things out of the cupboards. He sat down at the table without saying anything. He looked at the girl making his dinner and wondered who she really was. He suspected that she was a shinobi, but he wasn't quite sure. If she was a shinobi why hadn't she said so? What was it that she was hiding? Was she running away from someone? He had noticed that she seemed tense even when she smiled and he had often found himself wondering how she had gotten injured. He knew he had to say something and he knew that he had a good chance at that moment since they were both alone.

"How is your wound?"

Rei paused for a moment. She was a bit surprised to hear him talk.

"It's fine. It's actually almost healed. I just put a new bandage on it."

"Then I guess you will be leaving soon."

Rei kept cooking although the last comment had surprised her. So maybe he really did want her to leave. Maybe he knew, but saw no point in doing anything as she would leave eventually. She put on her pleasant face which she had been using ever since she arrived. It was the mask she had lived in for years. She turned to face him with a smile.

"Gaara-sama, do you really want me to leave so badly?" She said jokingly.

Gaara didn't respond. Rei thought he wouldn't say anything else and decided to leave once she was done cooking.

"I don't care if you're here or not. I was merely remarking upon a known fact. You were the one that said you would leave as soon as your wounds healed."

Rei frowned. Apparently Kankuro had forgotten to mention to her that Gaara was such a smartass. She put the food into a plate and set it down on the table before Gaara. He merely looked at her and she turned around and began washing the dishes.

"Is something bothering you?" He asked suddenly.

Rei answered him without looking at him.

"No, nothing's wrong. Why do you ask Gaara-sama?"

"You seem uneasy about something."

"I'm fine. It's just that it's a bit strange living here."

They were silent once again and this time Rei thought that Gaara was done talking. She was wrong.

"What rank are you?"

Rei was taken aback by the question. She almost dropped the dish she was washing, but managed to catch it in time. She hoped that Gaara had not noticed.

"What do you mean, Gaara-sama?"

"What rank are you? Are you a Chunnin, Jounin?"

"Gaara-sama, you know I'm not a shinobi." She said as pleasantly as she could.

"You're lying."

She stopped cleaning and put the dish down. She sighed and turned around. She knew there was nothing she could do anymore and so there was no use lying. The game was over and she had lost. She looked at him and for the first time since she had arrived she didn't put on a mask. Gaara noticed how tired she looked. She had the eyes of someone who had seen and done everything and wished they hadn't. She looked like she didn't care about what happened to her or to anyone else. Her eyes no longer had that pleasant look. She had nothing to hide and so she let that fall. Now, her eyes showed resentment, anger, sorrow, and the remains of a harsh life. She was frowning and regarded Gaara with the same detachment he used.

"I guess I can't lie to you can I, Gaara-sama?"

"I guess not."

"Alright, you got me, I am a rogue shinobi from Kirigakure. I've been running for a while now and I have no intention of stopping. If you want me to leave your village I will, but do not ask me to turn myself in because I will not. I mean no harm to your village or anyone else for that matter. My status as a criminal is nothing more than the result of a lot of bad luck."

"And so you expect me to let you leave without any further questions."

"It would be in your best interest, Kazekage-sama." She said coldly.

Gaara remained quiet for a while and Rei thought of just leaving.

"You are to stay here until I discover your true purposes. I don't want you to tell Kankuro anything. You are to act as though nothing happened. I don't expect you to tell me everything, but if you are running from someone and if you are really just a criminal by mistake I advice you to talk." Gaara stood up and left.

Rei stood there looking puzzled. She had no idea what had just happened, but what she did know was that she was allowed to stay. She sighed and went upstairs. She needed to sleep. She would think about what had happened in the morning. One thing that she was sure of was that Gaara was the strangest person she had met.

_**End Chapter Five**_

**Hope you guys liked it and sorry for taking so long to update, but I had computer trouble. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	6. Questions

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter. Thanks to ****ShadowAssasin01 and ****Uchiha**** Sasha ****for reviewing. Please review, the sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely ****Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Rei Sighed as she laid in her bed. She couldn't stop thinking of Gaara. He was strange, to say the least. She was sure that anyone else would have either turned her in or kicked her out. She still couldn't believe that he was allowing her to stay in his home. Of course, he only did that to get more information out of her. This posed a problem for her as she wasn't sure if she should tell him about the ones following her. She doubted that he would be able to do anything to stop them and so she saw no point in mentioning them. Still, she was almost certain that the unusual Kazekage would notice that she was hiding something.

At least she had a safe place to stay. She still had an uneasy feeling like someone was watching her. She decided that if they were waiting for her it would be better to tell Gaara the truth that way maybe he could serve as a distraction while she escaped. She smirked. Maybe she wasn't in such a bad position after all. She smirked and thought of a way to use all of this in her advantage. Just as she was thinking that someone knocked on the door. She walked over to it wondering if it was Gaara wishing to interrogate her. She was relieved to see that it was just Kankuro.

"Hello, Kankuro."

"Hello, I'm going out for a while so you'll stay with Gaara okay. If you need anything he'll probably be in his room. See ya later."

Kankuro left before she could say anything. She heard the door close and an ominous feeling washed over her. She closed the door and hoped that Gaara would just stay in his room, but she knew he would want to ask her a few questions. She sighed and walked to the kitchen. As she was getting some water Gaara stepped in.

"Hello, Kazekage-sama, I suppose you want to ask me some questions."

Gaara nodded and she sat down. Gaara sat down on the opposite side of the table.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Are you really that willing to answer my questions?"

"Well, the way I see it, even if I tell you everything I know there is very little you can do. I really see no harm in telling you a bit about my life." She said cheerfully.

"I see. Then tell me, how is it that you got here? Why were you traveling through the desert?"

"Well, let's just say I was running from some demons of my past when I was caught in a sandstorm."

Gaara wasn't very pleased with her answer as she hadn't really told him why she was running away.

"Why did you come here?"

"As I recall you were the one that brought me here. I was merely traveling through the desert. I really have no set direction to travel I just go anywhere. It doesn't matter to me where I am, I never stay for too long. This is the longest I've stayed in one place."

"Is it because of your injury?"

She smirked.

"Kazekage-sama, my injuries are the least of my concerns. If I had been lucky enough maybe I would have died back there before you found me. I'm afraid I'm quite used to traveling while injured."

"So, why are you still here?"

She paused as she lifted her glass of water up to her mouth.

"Well, at the moment, I'm here because I am being held prisoner by the Kazekage in his home."

"You are not being held prisoner."

"Oh, so you're saying that I can leave whenever I want to?" She said with mock surprise.

She watched as Gaara frowned. She knew what he was thinking. He was thinking that he really was holding her captive.

"Tell me, if I were to try to leave now, what would you do?" She said curiously.

Gaara glared at her, but didn't respond.

"I thought so." She sighed and relaxed in her seat.

"Who are you?"

Rei noted the slight curiosity in Gaara's voice and smirked. She surveyed the young Kazekage with cold detachment.

"I am merely a wanderer who had the misfortune of associating with the wrong people and ended up in a difficult position."

"I thought you said you were a rogue."

"I am, but my status as a criminal is merely the result of the misfortune I have mentioned. You see, when I started traveling I was just a shinobi looking for something when I ran into some people that made me an offer that I was in no position to refuse. I associated with these people for some time, but I grew tired of being kept like nothing more than a pet and so I escaped. Unfortunately for me these people don't like being tricked and they are very persistent. So, as you can see, I really am nothing more than a wanderer, given the fact I have not committed any serious crimes of my own will."

"What about against your will?"

She frowned.

"I won't deny that I have done some rather unpleasant things while I served those who pursue me now. But, I never wanted to hurt anyone. I guess in the end what I am going through is merely atonement for my past sins."

"So you're running from the people you used to serve."

"That's right."

"Who are they?"

Rei stood up and sighed.

"Sorry, Kazekage-sama, but I'm afraid I said enough for today. Let's leave the rest for the next interrogation session."

She began to walk towards the door, but Gaara grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"You don't have a say in this."

"Hmm, maybe I don't, but I just don't think it's the right tome to tell you. Besides, if I told you too much about these people your village might be in danger."

"Don't act like you care about this village."

Rei looked at him and sighed.

"Kazekage-sama, I have no desire to cause any harm to this village. When I arrived here my plan was to leave as soon as possible in the hopes that this village wouldn't be involved and that I could outrun my enemies again. All I want to do is leave this village and if you allow me to do so I promise you I won't return."

"I can't let you go so easily and if the village is in danger I want to know who these people are."

"And what will you do if I tell you? Are you willing to help a criminal? These people are dangerous, but if you let me go they will follow me and you won't have any more problems."

"I can't let you go so easily, you're a criminal."

"And so you think that hiding me in your own home is better?"

Gaara didn't say anything. She sighed and pulled her wrist free.

"There's nothing you can do about this Gaara-sama. I'm sorry for putting you in this position, but I have to leave."

"If you leave you'll die."

"If I leave, the world will be freed of one more criminal. At least, that's what people would say."

Gaara looked at her as she stood by the doorway with her back towards him.

"Gaara-sama, there's nothing you can do for me, from the moment I escaped I knew I would be killed by those who are after me."

Gaara just looked at her as she walked away. He was unsure of what to think of the girl. Although she was a criminal she didn't seem like a threat and he began to wonder if all of this had been nothing more than bad luck. She hadn't done anything to harm anyone and even cooked for them. She didn't seem to want to harm anyone and although she wanted to leave she had not made any attempts to escape. He wondered who were the ones that were after her and how powerful they really were if she thought that he couldn't do anything to stop them. He sighed as for a moment he thought that he should try to help her. Sure, she was a criminal, but she didn't behave like one and if she needed help he couldn't just let her be killed. As he went back to his room he thought that he would try to get some more information out of her later and see what he could do to help. He was already guilty of harboring a criminal and if the ones after her were dangerous he would rather help her get rid of them than to let her go. Still, a small part of him thought that he just wanted to help her because he had taken a liking to her. She was nice and smart and one of the few people that didn't fear him. He cleared his mind of those thoughts and looked out of the window. Things were certainly getting more interesting in Sunagakure.

**Hope you guys liked it and please review. The sooner you review the sooner I update and the more reviews I receive the more I write. Sayonara!**


	7. Encounters

**Hello people! Hope you guys like this chapter and please don't kill me for not updating in so long. I guess I've just been busy with my other fanfics and my original stories. Anyway, thanks to Uchiha Sasha, cheeky half-demon, Lyris88, LostAngel217, and TENGOKUxHEAVEN for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the chance. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Rei groaned as she opened her eyes and was received by the furious glare of the sun. For a moment she didn't know where she was, but then she remembered her situation. She sighed as she sat up and walked into the restroom to take a shower. It was probably one of the few things that she could still enjoy no matter what her situation was.

She stepped out of the shower and checked on her injury and sighed as she saw that it was closing up. She would be able to leave soon, that was if Gaara allowed her to leave. She got dressed in a loose sleeveless white shirt and a pair of black pants that reached a bit past her knee. In her opinion it was the ideal clothing for a place as hot as Sunagakure. She hesitated for a moment before opening the door and stepping outside. She headed to the kitchen to make breakfast like usual.

Kankuro and Temari still didn't know about her and she would keep it that way for as long as she could. The kitchen was empty, like always. She was usually the first one to get up in the house. As she worked on making breakfast she sensed someone getting closer. She frowned when she recognized the person as Gaara. A moment later the Kazekage walked into the kitchen. She didn't turn to look at him, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"Is something wrong, Kazekage-sama?"

"You're still here."

"Well, you were the one who told me to stay."

"I didn't expect a criminal to listen."

She felt her eye twitch as it was a bit annoying to be referred to as a criminal on a daily basis.

"I really don't have a choice do I?"

"You could have escaped."

"To where? In case you didn't listen the last time we talked there're some pretty unfriendly people after me and I'm not feeling too great at the moment. Not to mention that I would have to travel for days to reach the next village and frankly I don't have that kind of time."

Gaara watched with much hidden amusement as she ranted on about all the problems that kept her from escaping. As she talked and her anger rose she began to pay less attention to what she as doing. She knocked down a bowl and flinched as she waited for the sound of it breaking, but was surprised when she opened her eyes and found the bowl being held by a cloud of sand. She grabbed it after a moment of hesitation and set it down on the counter.

"You can stay as long as you want. I don't care as long as you don't hurt anyone."

She turned around and gave Gaara a strange look. He just sat there calmly and she wondered what he was thinking.

"Aren't you worried about the people after me?"

"The village isn't weak, it'll be fine if it just a few rogues."

She frowned and looked away as she spoke.

"What about me? Do you really think it's fine to keep a rogue at your home. You said it yourself, I'm a criminal."

"You don't act like one."

She was surprised at this, but she hid it by looking away. She wondered what Gaara had been thinking lately. Only a while ago he had acted like he expected her to destroy the village at any moment, but now he seemed a bit more trusting. She placed some food before him and turned back around to get some food for Kankuro. It was strange for him to still be upstairs when breakfast was ready. He was usually the first to get to the kitchen at the smell of food.

"Where is Kankuro-san?"

"He went on a mission; he'll be back in the evening."

Rei frowned a bit at the news. That meant that she was alone with Gaara. On the bright side, the Kazekage didn't really have a lot of time to spend at home. She headed upstairs back to her room and waited until Gaara was gone. She really didn't want to wander around the house while he was there. After a while she went down to the kitchen and frowned a bit as she saw that there wasn't a lot of food left.

She sighed and decided that it would be good to step outside for a while. Maybe she would eat out and get something for dinner. Apart from that, she wanted to see if she could sense anyone watching her. She hadn't felt anyone around that morning and she was thinking of leaving, but before she could move she needed to make sure it was safe. With that she made her way outside and headed out into the town.

As she walked she didn't sense any hostile chakra like she had before and even after being outside for a while she felt nothing. She smiled a bit as she enjoyed her time outside. For the first time in a long time she was able to walk around calmly without worrying about anyone following her. She was also happy about the improvement in her condition. All in all she was feeling pretty good.

She wandered around for a while before stopping to eat. It was strange to think that she was able to wander around so freely after the Kazekage had found out about her. She hadn't expected him to be so trusting, but then again he had changed from the person that everyone knew so it was hard to create a clear opinion of him by just rumors. She sighed as she looked up at the setting sun. She guessed she should head back home. As she thought this she stopped and couldn't help but frown. It had been a while since she had thought of going _home_.

To be honest she really didn't have a home. She hadn't been anywhere near home in a long time. For years now she had just wandered around with several people, some good some bad. Lately she had seen more of the bad and most recently she had met the worst. At least for now there was no one after her. She supposed they had better things to do than to try to capture her. After all, she had never been much but a sort of hired killer, nothing too special although she had a few exceptional abilities. Even so, she was sure they could find someone stronger.

As she walked she failed to notice a group of men sitting at a shop and eating. They stopped as she walked past them and glared at her. One of the men stood up and the others followed. Rei felt someone following her and frowned. She could tell that they weren't as strong as the other men that had been chasing her, but there were about four of them and only one of her. She sighed and walked faster trying to get away, but the streets were crowded as she was still in the marketplace.

Suddenly she felt a hand rest on her shoulder and she flinched at the force with which they grasped her. She turned around and scowled at the man she recognized as a previous _associate_ of hers she had met while passing through Amegakure. In truth she had run into them and they had offered her some money if she helped them with a few jobs. Said jobs were namely assassinations. After a while she had left them which wouldn't have angered them too much were it not for the fact that she took their money.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here." The man growled.

Rei pushed him off of her and she stepped back as the men just stood there smirking.

"Same here, I didn't know they let trash like you in here." She said.

The men scowled at her and she wondered what the hell she was going to do now. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but there were a lot of people around and she had no weapons. She was outnumbered and she was aware that she wouldn't be able to use any jutsu with al the people walking around her. After assessing the situation she decided to do what she usually did, she ran.

Unfortunately for her, they were already anticipating that and so she found herself trapped in between the men. She scowled and charged at one of the men. He blocked her attack and tried to hit her, but she dodged and jumped to the side as she sensed someone behind her. The leader was apparently getting tired of playing. He took out some shuriken and threw them at the girl. Rei frowned and dodged all of them easily. She looked around at the villagers who were hurrying out of the way and hoped no one was injured. She saw two sand shinobi approaching but two of the thugs stopped them before they reached her and the other two.

"Hey, pay attention!"

Rei turned to the man who had spoken and received a hard kick that sent her back into a small stand. She groaned as she felt her injury on her side throbbing with pain. She heard something behind her and glanced at an old man who was probably the owner of the stand. Before she could stand up she saw some shuriken heading her way.

This was one of those moments in which she hated being so helpless. In a second she assessed her options. She could move out of the way and let the old man behind her get killed or she could stay and cover herself as best as she could. She got ready for the pain and held her arms up. She flinched as she felt the weapons sinking into her arms. She stood up and moved to the side and away from any people.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gaara looked up as a shinobi entered his office.

"Kazekage-sama, the rogue shinobi we've been looking for are in the marketplace! They're fighting with a woman!"

Gaara frowned as he got a sinking feeling of who the woman was.

* * *

She flinched as she removed the shuriken from her arms. One of the men charged at her again and she dodged his blows and kicked him back. She threw some shuriken at him grinned as they hit him on his leg. Her victory was cut short as she jumped back to avoid being hit by the other man. He threw a kunai at her and she dodged it easily, but the man was able to get close enough to punch her. She hit the ground hard and groaned as she felt her side aching. Before she could stand up the leader of the thugs kicked her on her side sending her a few feet back into a wall.

Rei tried to stand, but the pain in her side was too much. She cursed her luck at having run into them in a crowded place. They were lucky she didn't want to hurt any villagers. She held her side and felt some blood from her previous injury. She scowled at the man as he approached her and stopped a few feet before her.

"You really shouldn't have run off you little brat."

"And you really shouldn't have been born you big idiot."

He scowled and took out some kunai. She closed her eyes as he threw the weapons at her. She waited for a moment, but opened her eyes when she felt no metal sinking into her skin. She was surprised when she looked up and saw a wall of sand before her. It took her a moment to realize that Gaara was nearby.

She looked around and sure enough Gaara was standing a few feet to her side. She looked back at the thugs and saw that they were trapped by his sand. Some shinobi rushed to capture the rogue ninja while Rei struggled to stand. She saw Gaara approaching her and expected him to have her arrested as well, but she was surprised when he helped her stand up.

"What happened?" He asked sternly.

She frowned a bit and looked away. She really didn't want to talk about it in front of the other people. Gaara looked at her various injuries and frowned.

"Tell me at the hospital."

She looked up at him in surprise, but said nothing.

* * *

A while later she found herself lying on a bed in the hospital. She sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. She heard the door open and Gaara walked in. The Kazekage walked into the room and stood by the girl's bed. He took notice of the bandages on her arms and the scratches on her face. Rei looked up at him calmly and waited for the questions to start.

"Who were those men?"

She sighed and looked away.

"A few years ago, back when I was still a kid, I ran into those guys and they offered me some money if I helped them."

"Helped them with what?"

She hesitated before answering.

"Killing."

There was a moment of silence in which Rei didn't look at the Kazekage.

"Why were they after you?"

"I got tired of doing their dirty work so I drugged their food, took their money and ran away. I just had the bad luck to run into them today."

"Why didn't you fight back?"

She gave him a strange look as if the answer was obvious. Gaara just looked at her waiting for an answer.

"Kazekage-sama, you were the one who told me not to harm anyone, if I fought back the villagers could have gotten hurt."

Gaara looked at her with something akin to surprise. She resisted the urge to smile.

"You're a criminal, I didn't expect you to care about the lives of others."

Rei frowned and looked at Gaara seriously.

"I'm a shinobi and so I'm expected to kill, but I refuse to kill innocent people. Despite my status as a criminal I'm not some mindless killer. I kill to live and only when I can't run. Call me a coward if you want but I would rather run than stain my hands with more blood."

With that she looked away from the young Kazekage. He looked at the girl and wondered how she had ended up as a criminal. She certainly didn't act like one. He thought back to all the injuries she had received.

"You say you only kill to live but you could have died, why didn't you fight back?"

"I don't kill innocent people. As far as I know the only bad people where those morons I was fighting and they weren't worth risking the lives of the villagers."

She turned back to look at Gaara and he was surprised at the serious look she gave him.

"Or would you rather have me destroy your village and kill your people? I suppose that would fit your image of criminals better than the one I have created. After all, according to you I'm just a heartless killer that shouldn't care about anyone but myself."

Gaara glared at her and she smirked.

"If you hurt anyone I'll kill you."

"If you think you'll have to kill me then why not do it now? I'm already injured, might as well get rid of me and save yourself some trouble."

Gaara ignored her and thought of another question to ask her.

"Why were you outside, I thought it was dangerous."

"It was, but I can't sense any danger anymore. Apparently I'm not worth the wait, not that I'm complaining. Now that I think about it I can leave now that I'm not being watched."

She sat up and flinched at the wound on her side.

"Don't move, the wound on your side opened up."

She scowled but lay down again.

"You're not leaving. I still want to know who you are."

"I told you, I'm a wandering criminal." She said in a bored tone.

"You know, if you keep me here it'll only lead to trouble."

"I thought you said you wouldn't cause trouble."

"That's right, I said I wouldn't I never said anything about other people that may be after me."

"If they're all as weak as the men from today then you'll be fine, just ask for help next time."

Rei looked at him curiously.

"You mean you would actually help me?" She said incredulously.

"As long as you are staying in this village I am responsible for your life."

She blinked in confusion. She hadn't heard anything about Gaara being so noble. She smiled a bit, maybe he wasn't so bad.

"Thanks Kazekage-sama, I'll try to keep that in mind."

Gaara nodded and headed out of the room.

"Kazekage-sama."

Gaara stopped and turned to the girl.

"Thanks for helping me today and sorry for causing you trouble."

Gaara turned back around and left without saying anything. Rei sighed and closed her eyes. She really didn't understand Gaara. Sometimes he acted like a heartless bastard much like the rumors said, but then there were times when he was almost…nice. It really was confusing, she guessed she would just have to get used to it after all she would be staying there for a while.

* * *

Gaara went back to his office and looked out the window at the village. He was still thinking about Rei. He had to admit that it had been both very noble and very stupid of her to not defend herself because of the villagers. Still, he had to admit that she had stayed true to her word and hadn't really caused trouble it was the other guys who bothered her. He hadn't mentioned it to her, but he had heard of how she had shielded a villager with her own body.

It was hard to think that she was a rogue. Then again, he really didn't know her yet, for all he knew she was just trying to gain their trust so that she could trick them later. Even as he thought of this possibility he had to admit, at least to himself, that it wasn't very probable. He sank back in his chair and decided to just observe her for a while. He really didn't think she would run away if he told her to stay, she seemed to be strangely obedient.

Apart from wanting to know more about her he also had a feeling that she wasn't so bad. He knew from experience that people could change and that all they needed was a chance to prove themselves. He had once been branded as a killer and it had been hard to gain the people's trust. To be honest, he still didn't have the trust of all the villagers. It was only fair that he give the girl a chance to prove that she wasn't as bad as she seemed. He just hoped that he wasn't making a mistake.

_**End Chapter Seven**_

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**Hope you guys liked the chapter and again, sorry for the long wait. I've been very busy with some things. Anyway, please review if you have the time, I would really appreciate it. Until next time.**


	8. Home

**Hello people! I'm really sorry for not updating for a while, but I had no time and am currently ill. I'll try to update more often during my time awake, lol. Hope you guys like this chapter and thanks to Joushou-Sensei, ShadowAssasin01, LostAngel217, Alysha Amber, and fruba1234 for reading and reviewing. Please review if you have the chance. Now on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lovely Rei.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Kankuro was surprised when he learned that Rei had been attacked and showed genuine worry for the girl who tried to reassure him as he loitered by her bed. Gaara didn't say much, but he didn't bother her or question her anymore. She was grateful to him for having helped her, but she was still rather annoyed with his decisions regarding her own future. In general, thay tried to stay out of each other's way, which was rather easy as she was confined in her room while she recovered.

So it can be said that it came as a great surprise to Rei when Gaara suddenly appeared in her room with a tray of food. She blinked once, twice, thrice before realizing that her eyes were not deceiving her.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he set the tray down on the bedside table.

"Fine."

"That's good, I was worried your wounds weren't healing properly."

She felt her eye twitch at the young Kazekage's words. She couldn't help but wonder if both her eyes and ears were deceiving her or if she was just hallucinating and she had somehow injured her head without noticing. As that was highly unlikely she settled on the thought that she was simply going insane.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." She said, accepting a bowl of soup.

"It might not be so good, but it's better that Temari's cooking." Gaara said.

Rei choked on her food at the rare show of humor. She looked up with watery eyes which seemed wider than possible.

"It's fine, really."

Gaara nodded and reached into his pocket. Rei watched intently as he pulled something out and stretched his hands towards her so that she could take it. She was surprised to see that it was a headband from Sunagakure. She looked up at Gaara with a questioning look. The look of surprise on her face could not be hidden no matter how hard she tried.

"If you wear that people will recognize you as a shinobi from Suna and will help you if you are in trouble."

"But, this isn't my village."

"It doesn't matter."

"I gave up on my village when I left and became a criminal…" She said, looking away.

"Maybe it's time you found a new one."

She looked up in time to see Gaara walk away, closing the door quietly as he stepped out of the room. She sat there looking at the door for a while before turning her azure gaze towards the headband in her lap. A small smile crept up on her face at the thought of starting over again. Although she was doubtful of the Kazekage's true intentions she was also thankful for the new chance that he had given her.

To some extent, she knew that it was foolish to think that she would be able to start over in Sunagakure, but she hoped she could. There was a part of her that thought that under the protection of the laconic, but relatively nice Kazekage she would be able to live peacefully. She would certainly like to. She sighed and ate as she tried not to get her hopes up, but she couldn't help but put the headband on, even if no one saw it.

In a way, it reassured her and made her feel safe. It made her feel like she actually belonged somewhere and wasn't just a wandering second-rate criminal anymore. It made her feel that things would be alright, at least for the time being.

* * *

Gaara was surprised at himself, not only had he been nice, but he had actually invited a criminal to become a citizen of his village. Apparently becoming Kazekage was a fast trip down the road of insanity. Even as he thought this, he knew that he wasn't insane. It was only fair to give the girl a chance after all she had been through. Apart from that, she really wasn't so bad once you got used to her sarcasm which seemed to rear its ugly head in each of her sentences be they complete or not.

At least he knew Kankuro would be happy and so would Temari, as soon as she returned. He could see his idiotic brother's smile as he cried knowing he wouldn't have to starve anymore and his older sister's grin at the news. If anything, this little decision of his promised to bring quite a few headaches at the very least. He just hoped that was all he would have to deal with.

* * *

Rei groaned as she laid in bed, sheets thrown to the side and pillows sliding off the bed. It was hot. Really hot. Really hot. It was at this moment in which she remembered why she had never stayed in Sunagakure. Being from Kirigakure, she was not used to such harsh weather. With a groan and a great amount of effort she managed to get off the bed and stumble into the restroom with a kunai in hand.

She looked at the mirror and directly towards her long hair which was currently sticking to her body in a rather uncomfortable way. Even though it was tied back in a high ponytail it was still a bother. She sighed and grasped it in her free hand.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." She muttered.

That being said, she proceeded to cut off most of her hair until it reached her shoulders. She sighed in relief as she shook off a few strands and disposed of them. Her head certainly felt lighter and it was nice to not have something sticking to her arms and back. She grinned happily and crawled back into her bed. It might not have been the neatest job, but it was good enough until she was in the mood to fix it.

* * *

Gaara walked down the hall and past Rei's bedroom. He could hear soft breathing from inside signaling that the girl was asleep. He silently crept into the room to retrieve the dishes from her meal. He stopped when he saw the sudden change in the girl's appearance.

Her hair, which had been rather long the last time he had seen her was now resting above her shoulders. Her bangs were hanging over the headband he had given her only hours before. He stared at her and frowned as he realized why he couldn't look away. She looked like Yashamaru, not greatly, but enough to get him to remember that person.

He picked up the dishes and left the room quickly before anymore memories would be stirred. He didn't want to do anything reckless and although he wasn't the same insane killer he had once been he didn't want to take any chances. There were some memories that were better left undisturbed.

**_End Chapter Eight_**

* * *

**Hope you guys like it and again sorry for the long wait and the shortness. I came up with this in an hour (new record!) so pardon any mistakes, but I have little time. Please review if you have the chance.**


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